A painted ceiling used to show off architectural features

1. You can paint the ceiling in any room in your house. Expect your painted ceiling to give you the most dramatic room in your house. It’ll convey a very strong mood that will wrap you up every time you enter the space. It’s worth considering a painted ceiling for a room that’s used on a part time basis. Dining rooms, powder rooms, bathrooms are perfect candidates for painted ceilings.

2. Painting the ceiling can be a wonderful way to dress up a room that feels like little more than a vanilla box. If your place is of the new build variety with few architectural features, a painted ceiling can give your space some much need WOW! factor. You can add interest with colour, texture and sheen.

3. A painted finish for the ceiling is a brilliant way to balance a room with a very high ceiling where naturally all the furnishings are gathered at floor level. A painted ceiling in a high ceilinged room has the effect of making the room feel more human and warming.

4. Got a small room? Yes, you can paint the ceiling. Stick with medium to light tones and avoid having too much contrast between the walls and ceiling. Do yourself a favour by making sure the room gets plenty of light either natural or artificial no matter what size room you’ve got.

5. You can use a painted ceiling to draw attention to architectural features like beams. All you need to do is choose a colour that complements (rather than blends) with the feature colour. If you’d rather hide or play down the feature choose a colour that blends in with feature colour.

Image Credit: www.gharexpert.com

This week saw the big reveal of bedroom 2 in each of the four properties. Along with judges Neale Whitaker and John McGrath, I felt that Josh and Jenna’s second bedroom was a real standout. It’s functional; it’s smart and fresh without being an assault on the senses. These elements combined would appear to make it the most saleable of the four rooms presented.

Here are five lessons to remember if you too plan to renovate to speculate and why the other three rooms fell short.

1. Don’t sacrifice bedrooms: Katrina and Aimie made it clear they wanted to target young professionals by sacrificing a bedroom for a home office despite bedrooms having a far higher dollar value than a home office. Judge, real estate agent John McGrath knew it and spoke openly of his concerns about how buyers would feel about it. Designated offices can work, but Katrina and Aimee’s is built in, so converting the space to the original use might open an expensive and inconvenient can of worms. This means Katrina and Aimee’s property will draw from a much shallower buyer’s pool than the other contestants with their properties.

2. If there’s a good chance the finish will come out looking dodgy – don’t do it, unless you have the time and money to fix it. This is where faux finishes can bring you down. Case in point; the stainless cupboard doors in K&A’s home office.

3. Make use of all the available space, dead space is..Well…dead. Tania and Rod did this well. They stayed with the bedroom function and added a study area and included plenty of floor to ceiling storage. Polly and Waz on the other hand stopped short and created a large dead zone above the build in wardrobe.  As good as it might be to have a TV in the study in K&A’s room, I just can’t see the space being used for that purpose as often as it should be despite a comfy chair.

4. If it’s permanent, keep it simple, if it’s not a fixed element, have a little fun. Tania and Rod’s shag carpet won’t appeal to many buyers. Yes it adds warmth, but it’s awfully impractical especially in living areas. For anyone keen on shag carpeting, go with something less permanent and get a rug.

5. Keep an eclectic style in check: Both judges were highly critical of K&A for this reason. I like a room to be memorable, and as a seller you need that. But there’s a fine line between eclectic and just plain old weird. It distracts buyers from the task at hand. If you plan on selling the space on the open property market, lightly sprinkle a few eclectic (but not permanent) touches to add some interest, don’t allow an eclectic look to define the space.  

Bathrooms and laundries are renovated next week…the workhorse spaces in any home. Let’s see what comes.

It doesn’t get much colder than these images. Purple reminds me of the colour your lips go when you’re really, really cold.

Blue, green and purple are the cool colours of the colour wheel. They can be warmed up of course, but that’s a different post.

Now, if you’re selling (or staying) how should you use the warm and cool colours we see here to best effect?

Well, there are a few things you need to consider.

The home’s target market/or the home’s owner: Ask yourself; do I (or does my likely buyer), have a preference? Very bright or very dark variations of either warm or cool colours can put house hunters off.

Climate: Living in a very warm climate or perhaps a very cool one? Well, take that into account when deciding what kind of colour mood you want or need. A cool colour scheme can really add a cool and fresh mood to a home in a hot climate. Naturally, giving your home a sense of warmth in an otherwise cold area can create the perfect mood escape from a dark, cold climate.

What direction does the room face? North or south facing rooms may get either more, or less, natural light coming through. A room that is deprived of natural light can be brightened up with a warmer colour scheme – reds, oranges and yellows. A room with more natural light (perhaps too much) can be cooled or ‘toned’ down some by a cooler colour scheme – blues, greens and violets. Of course in the age of central heating/cooling this is less of a problem.

These rules are pretty general of course. If you’re aiming to sell, I’d be inclined to stick to the colour rule book.

Of course, if you plan to stay, the world’s your oyster. Would ‘oyster’ be warm or cool? You decide.

But all hope is not lost. The reasons for a no sale are often fairly common. To get the best out of the selling process it’s crucial you take a pro-active attitdue to the whole thing. Houses don’t sell themselves and you can’t just sit idly by waiting for buyers to come bashing the front door down to buy from you. The best home sales don;t happen like that. It’s now time to stop shaking your head (and perhaps even blaming) and start acting. You’ve got to be able to see and act on what the market’s telling you before the other home sellers in your area do. 

First things first. Don’t panic or be embarrassed. It’s ok to be slow to recognize what’s going on in your local market ‘cause selling proeprty isn’t something you do all day every day. You’d be in a different professional otherwise. It’s now time to wake up and smell the coffee and give some real thought to what’s gone wrong for you. 

Talk to your real estate agent about the possibility that your listing has gone stale for one (or more) of these reasons.

1. You need a price adjustment: Lots of sellers fall into the trap of overestimating their property’s value despite their agent’s advice. Buyers aren’t interested in what you owe your lender, how much you need to move or your wonderful memories. So, don’t add a premium to your house price to account for these things. Take an honest look at what’s been selling in your area.

2. Poor staging/presentation: Price and presentation often go hand in hand. Many sellers are unwilling to do too much – if anything to a property they intend to sell. Think about it this way; you’ve got 2 kids bed frames to sell. One looks to be in really good condition and should get you a good price on eBay if you wipe it over and maybe dressed it, took some nice photos and added a good description. The other bed doesn’t look as good. It’s ok, but it’s a bit older and the paint is chipped and the colour is a bit out of date too. You can tell by looking at it that it’s not worth as much as the other bed, so you decide to donate it to goodwill instead. You’re sure someone would be willing to pay a small amount for it. Which bed would you rather be selling?

3. Poor or insufficient marketing: As much as it pains me to say it, some marketing photos are appalling, so check yours. Look at your marketing photos and imagine you were going to put them in your photo album to show off later with pride. Do they look good enough to give you a feeling of pride? Or do they look more like you’d want to hang your head in shame? The photo on the right is a real marketing photo. Too bad the seller wasn’t trying to sell the pool table. Have you got a ‘for sale’ sign in your yard? Are you marketing online too?  Remember only spies get paid to sell secrets.

4. Bad location: Ok, so your place is on a really busy road and near a busy truck stop. This is where the right pricing and targeted presentation comes in to play. Investors, developers and even small business owners can often see better value in these kinds of properties. So work closely with your agent on this one to get your marketing right.

5. Some (or several) of the property’s features are obsolete: Buying a piece of history only has so much appeal. When buyers want a period property they mean colour, architecture and finish. Not a lack of plumbing, electricity or outdoor toilets. Subtle reminders of the past are fine, few buyers want to relive it when they use the bathroom. You’ve got 2 choices: either adapt or price accordingly. Potential means little in this market.

6. Your home’s target market is too narrow: I remember once inspecting a home that would usually be describe as a small sized, lifestyle acreage. I thought the house was pretty good even if it looked like the owners had moved out already. But I jsut couldn’t get past the fact the grounds were devoted exclusively to horses, not people. To change that would have meant more cost and considerable hassle after the purchase. That property was eventually withdrawn after several months. As a professional stager I would have urged the sellers to consider adapting the grounds somewhat, or seriously showcasing the home’s other features, as a way of taking the emphasis off such a horse orientated property. This would have gone some way to broadening the appeal to a wider market. I would urge the sellers to be flexible about offers too when your buyer pool is so shallow.

7. No one’s buying in this area: I have a relative in this situation right now. He has a 3 bedroom older style home in very neat condition, on a 1.5 acre block. But, it’s in a country town 2 hours from major services and unemployment is high. I’d suggest here that the value of this kind of property has likely been overestimated and whilst there has been an increase in the property’s value in the years since it was purchased, it does not happen at the same rate as its suburban and city cousins. In this instance buyer options are few with younger buyers unable to live so far out of town and retirees more likely to find maintainance an issue. Unbeatable pricing and savvy marketing from an experienced agent are key.

8. Market forces: Disasters, natural and manmade effect people’s buying habits. And not just on a small scale. Here in Australia many states have been decimated by floods, drought and bushfires. Even elections leave people feeling cautious. Take the time to really look at if/why this is a factor in your local market. Get good solid advice from experienced selling agents, financial advisors and so on. Don’t rush into such a big decision if you can avoid it.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you would be well aware that today’s property market is ultra competitive.

Thanks in no small part to there being fewer buyers for more real estate stock. Many sellers have to compete not just with nearby established homes and units, but they’re also up against it in an area full of new home estates (aka ‘new builds’).

Whilst the idea of buying a new build isn’t for everybody, they have an appeal, and very often a price tag that a great many house hunters find hard to overlook.

But what if you now want to sell your (still relatively new), new build? Ahh, never fear. There is hope.

As a professional home stager/property stylist and property investor with a few new builds of my own under my belt, I can tell you that with a bit of forward planning, elbow grease, and a few inexpensive fixes, you can still give the new build competition a run for their money, and attract your fair share of buyers.

Here are my top 10 tips to help you do just that.

1. Clean. Nobody truly fancies the idea of a used bathroom. Think along the lines of ‘hotel’ room clean and you won’t go wrong.

2. Declutter. Why do you think display homes seem so big and spacious? Because they aren’t full of your stuff, that’s why! Do yourself a favour and start packing up now. After all – you’re moving!

3. Keep your home maintenance up to date. Things like damaged or stained flooring, dodgy door hinges, peeling paint, stained concrete, unkempt lawns and gardens will send house hunters running towards new builds quicker than you can say “care to make an offer?” Show buyers that your place is pristine and cared for.

4. KERB appeal is KING.  Ever seen a display home with anything less than outstanding kerb appeal? No, neither have I. Get on it. Clean, tidy, with a little colour is the way to go. It’s now time to lose any garden gnomes, naked statues, or vintage farm equipment.

5. Keep your wall colours understated and neutral. You may have painted to put your own stamp on your home (who doesn’t?), but all to often this won’t help you sell. The deliberate use of inoffensive, subtle wall colour is just one reason a display home has such huge buyer appeal, from retirees to first home buyers.

6. Stick with more modern furnishings that are in good condition. You will not see scruffy, 15 year old sofas, or anything else for that matter in display homes. If it’s looking a bit tired or even outdated, it’s time to renew, replace or maybe even borrow if you need to freshen your decor.

7. Add some new ‘bling’. By this I mean look at your home’s tap ware, door handles, light switches and light fittings. Check out a display villages near you to see what the latest trends are. Then head down to a local hardware store and get an inexpensive version for those key rooms in your house. This will help buyers feel as though they’re getting a little bit more bang for their buck than they would with a brand new home or unit.

8. Give buyers a reason to go outside. This is where a more established home like yours has a serious advantage. Most new builds have very little by way of landscaping. So, if you can add something that they haven’t got, you’re gonna jump way up the ‘for sale’ property ladder. Consider adding a very simple paved area for an outdoor table and chairs with an umbrella (borrow the furniture if you need to)  for shade and a few potted plants to soften the hard edges.  But I warn you – don’t go overboard. Quite frankly, this is not the time to put in that swimming pool. Keep it low cost and keep it simple.

9. Play up your location. Does your place have a nice view or are you on a quiet street? What school zone do you fall into, can you walk there, and are you near a park or a local store? Have you got a better view or aspect than other homes in your area. Look around you. Why did you buy there to begin with, what will you miss about when you’re gone?

10. Don’t discount inclusions or terms. The big developers offer bonuses pretty regularly and you can too. They don’t have to be big. I got $5000 more for my house because the husband fell in love with the TV and the wife wanted the mirror in the hallway. On a larger scale I once had a buyer ask our selling agent if we’d be willing to negotiate our boat as part of the deal. You can aslo be open on terms of sale. For instance, some buyers need a longer settlement than the standard 42 days and are prepared to pay more for that peace of mind. If that works in with your own needs, it may be worth considering.

So you see when you stop and think about it, you can keep up with the new builds popping up all over the place. There’s no denying it takes a little effort and perhaps it means investing a little up front. Still, it can pay off handsomely.

So, you’ve got a property to sell and it’s got a swimming pool. Pools can be a tricky sell. Not impossible, but it’s unlikely that the pool will be what motivates prospective buyers to buy, especially if you’re selling in the cooler months of the year.

Still though, all hope is not lost. As a professional home stager (often call a property stylist in Aussie real estate circles), it’s my job to make the backyard swimming pool really count at ‘for sale’ time.

Here are 10 of the fastest and simplest ways I know that will make your swimming pool one of your property’s best assets.

1. Think of it as another room in your house. And like any room in the for sale property, it should be sparkling clean and user friendly, with just a dash of style

2. Add shade. Given the location of most backyard pools – in full sun, shade is essential. It makes the area look and feel comfortable and helps potential buyers to imagine themselves spending many hours poolside. There’s no need to spend a bundle, just add an outdoor umbrella or shade sail for instant shade.

3. Create a dining area. Does luxury get any better? What could be better than a meal and a cool drink on a warm summer’s day, surrounded by family and friends?

4. Make it safe. This is a no brainer. Make sure that pool fencing and gates are all in good condition and in perfect working order.

5. Add some greenery. Add a little greenery and colour in either pots or in ground plantings to help to soften some of the hardness of the pool edges. Choose plants that are strong enough to cope with the harshness of the hot poolside environment.

6. Add soft seating for just lounging around. This is about making the area feel like another room in the house, so make it easy to relax in. Face sun lounges towards the house, unless the pool is draped in an otherwise fantastic view.

7. Add storage. Anyone who’s got a pool will tell you, that you tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. A place to put it is an essential ingredient to promoting the positive aspects of having a house with a pool. Pack away the pool toys, cleaning equipment and anything else not in use. You can have a basket poolside for a few beach towels.

8. Uncover it and turn on the power. These days lots of pools have covers on them to prevent water loss and debris from getting in. That said, if your pool is covered, take the cover off, then switch on your filter or water feature. We humans are attracted to moving water.

9. Add a pool house or cabana. I realise this may be a big ask, but hear me out. Providing a pool house would be one heck of a way to stand out from the competition and will instantly turn the swimming pool into an all seasons living zone. You can even find ready built pool houses (or something that could be used as one) in kit form at your local hardware or online.

10. Sell when it’s warmer. Look, don’t get me wrong, the best time to sell is when it feels right for you. But if you at all can, there’s no easier time to sell the benefits of having a swimming pool to potential buyers than on a warm summer day. But even if a summer sale isn’t right for you, any of the above hints will put you well ahead of the competition.

Have you got any pool tips you’d like to share?

I recently stumbled upon a blog post by ProBlogger’s Darren Prowse. His blog post ponders the question ‘If you had only 1 month left to blog…’

It got me to thinking ‘If I had just 1 month to sell my house what would I do?’
For me the answer is simple – not a single thing.

As a real estate investor myself, whenever I’ve decided to sell and move on I’ve always approached the selling process with a ‘go hard or go home’ kind of attitude. Doing it any other way had never occurred to me.

I’ve got a friend who’s home is fast approaching its 5th month on the market with the 2nd selling agent. I can see the strain of it on her face now. As much as I sympathise with her situation, there’s no way that’s gonna happen to me. I cannot bear the thought of living with the inconvenience of selling for longer than is absolutely necessary.

My agent and I have always had a strategy. It’s called competitive pricing, excellent presentation and great marketing. Simple – yes, effective – absolutely.

So, it’s up to you. You’ve got just 30 days to sell your property and with that sale will come world peace. What’s your strategy?

How do you see yourself marketing it?

What about pricing?

Presentation – would you still take the ‘sell it as is’ approach?

Naturally it begs the question – why not do it this way all the time?

No doubt about it, selling a home with a swimming pool can be a tricky job. The truth is swimming pools aren’t for everyone. Some home buyers love’em, but plenty hate ‘em.

So, if your ‘for sale’ property has a swimming pool, here’s the 5 most common  selling myths  - busted.

1. A pool will always add value. I’m afraid that, as a rule, they don’t.  When putting in a pool, you should be aiming to spend around 10%- 15% of your home’s value. But that doesn’t mean that your home will be worth 10%-15% more at the end of it. The best reason to put a pool in is because you want one, and intend to stay around to use it, not because you want to add value to your property. There’s an old rule of thumb for home buyers wanting a pool for the kids – buy a house with a pool. The reason? Well, first of all the hard work is done, but mostly it’s because the pool is almost considered a free gift.

2. A pool will make my property more saleable. Yes and no. If you were to take a satellite shot of your neighbourhood that showed a lot of little blue dots all over the place, then yes, a pool may be a more saleable asset. But the one thing you can’t get away from when it comes to pools is the maintenance. Maintenance means time and money, and there are plenty of people looking to buy a new home with not a lot of either to spare. Word of warning; Sacrificing valuable yard space in an already small backyard, is a definite negative. The same goes for fully enlcosed patio rooms.

3. Upkeep isn’t important if I’m selling during the cooler months. No matter what time of year you’re selling, if you have a swimming pool you MUST keep it looking sparkling clean all year round. Rain, hail or shine. Ignoring pool maintenance at any time when you’re selling will just let you and your property down.

4. Buyer’s love a spa. Spas are the #1 home improvement that home buyers DO NOT CARE FOR. The truth is, you’d be better off putting a (portable) spa into storage, and giving your home back the space to be used in more practical ways. A simple sitting area is much more valuable.

5. Pools just sell themselves. There are few things in the world that simply sell a themselves. For your home’s swimming pool to be a genuine asset you’ll need to treat it like any other room in your house. Keep it clean and well maintained at all times, then add some style to give a real sense of ‘lifestyle’, not ‘work’. That will rev up that all important buyer appeal at your place – inside and out.

Goal setting is important even when selling property

Time and time again home sellers fail to ask themselves; “What’s the number one thing I need to get from the sale of my property?”

You’ve probably got a few selling goals in mind even if you’ve never spoken about it out loud. For most of us the final sale price usually ranks right up there. As a property investor myself, I have 2 main goals. First for me is a good (albeit realistic) sale price. The second goal I set for myself is a speedy sale. After all, who wants to live in a show home for days, weeks, or even months on end?

Two of my favourite real estate experts, the US mother/daughter real estate team, Donna and Shannon Freeman, suggested this list of common home seller’s goals in their book ‘Seven Steps to Sold’ that I believe are completely relevant no matter where in the world you live;

1. Make the most money (I’m inclined to call this one ‘getting what you think it’s worth’)
2. Sell quickly
3. Time the sale (for a concurrent settlement)
4. A smooth real estate transaction
5. Finding the right buyer
6. Put the best product on the market 

In this first post in a series, we’ll look closer at goal #1.

Let’s start with a real life example of making price the #1 selling goal. There’s a home I know of just around the corner from my own, where the owners have based their selling strategy on making the most money. As someone who likes to keep a watchful eye on my local real estate market, I know that similar homes in the area are selling at a whopping $125,000 less than this property’s original asking price.

Is the final selling price all that matters?

Since that time, the home owners have been forced, not only to lower their price by $45,000, but they’ve also had to do what in the beginning, they didn’t want to do – put what they called the dreaded ‘for sale’ sign on the front lawn. A third marketing tactic has been added to the mix now too, the ‘open for inspection’.

It’s a classic mistake. Home owners who based their asking price on what they feel they deserve get, instead of what’s going on in the current market.

So what’s the real price paid for such a lofty, ‘must get top dollar’ ambition?

• Well, so far, 7 months have passed since the home was first listed on the market and along with that went the chance of a speedy sale. There still isn’t a lot of interest in the property, despite the big price adjustment. It this boils down to the fact that the last 7 months have been a complete waste of time for everyone concerned.
• The property has inherited a stigma. House hunters often ask how long a property has been on the market. When it’s been on for a long time, they naturally begin to wonder what’s wrong with it.
• The owners have had to carry all the holding costs associated with this home. Because the owners bought when the property market was more buoyant, the size of their mortgage is likely to reflect that. 
• They’ve had to put any future real estate plans on indefinite hold.
• These owners have been living in a ‘show home’ for seven, long months.
• But here’s another risk that these sellers haven’t considered. As Designed To Sell’s Donna Freeman says, you should be praying that the Beverly Hillbillies come down of the mountain ready to blindly offer you well above market value. That’s because, they’re about the only ones who will have enough cash on hand, to avoid having to take out a mortgage.

So what’s the problem with that you ask? Well, their lender is going to have their investment valued, and you can bet your house on the fact it will be lower than your contracted sale price. From there, it’s pretty much all downhill, and you’ll have to start the process all over again.

Moral of the story; think very hard about having price as your number one goal, you may end up paying a price you hadn’t budgeted for.

I’m a professional home stager/property stylist, and it’s my job to help homeowners like you, to make the most of their home’s most saleable features. On top of that, it’s my job to spend as little money as possible and get a result in a really short time.

So, come with me now, and I’ll show you 20 ways to make your family sized home that much more appealing to the kind of buyer looking to call a place like yours – home.   

One of the first things you should do is consider who your buyer is likely to be. If you’re selling a family sized home, then it’s likely that that’s who you should target. A word of caution: if you’re selling because your place is just too small for family life, then it’s best not to target those same buyers when you sell.

Byt the way, now is the time to come to terms with the cold hard truth that it’s not actually about your family’s needs anymore.

1. Get and keep the place clean and tidy, even if it near kills you. If you do absolutely nothing else, clean will not ever fail you.

2. Make sure your place looks fantastic from the kerb. It needs to be the best (or one of) in your street. This is where your place makes that all important first impression, so don’t let it go to waste less house hunters just drive straight past without even slowing down.

3. Pack away most of the kids toys and sports gear. I know it’s a family home you’ve got there, but leaving the stuff around for buyers to see, just says “not enough” storage to them.

4. Make sure bedrooms look like bedrooms (they’re just too valuable not too). House hunters are notorious for not being able to see a bedroom as a bedroom, if that’s not what it looks like when they lay eyes on it for the first time.  

5. Make the most of your built in storage by keeping them mostly clear and tidy. Families need more storage, not less. I’m talking about built in wardrobes, kitchen cupboards, pantries, linen cupboards. When I bought my current family home, the walk-in linen cupboard was a major selling point for me, believe it or not. To this day I think of it as one of my home’s best and most saleable features.

6. Create a fabulous looking ‘master bedroom’ with the emphasis on a quiet, clutter-free parent retreat. The payer of the mortgage wants…needs, a place to escape to once in a while. So, sell that feature.

7. Kitchen appliances should not only work well, but look good. I remember the time I inspected a family home that didn’t have a working stove or oven. That meant an immediate deduction off the home’s asking price because in a family home, it’s an essential to daily family life

8. De-clutter your kitchen counter tops. Work space is also very valuable. Keep those small appliances to a minimum – no more than two. Even less, if bench top space is at a premium.

9. Clean or replace any dirty or damaged flooring. The most sought after and valuable flooring is timber or laminate. It wears well and is easy to clean. If you’ve got carpet, plain, subdued colours don’t offend the eye.

10. Clear off bathroom vanity tops. Get the make-up, hair brushes and hairdryers put away to allow the buyer a bit of escapism from the throng of daily life.  As a potential buyer, I feel really uncomfortable seeing this stuff in someone’s home. So I don’t hang around.

11. Kids (and some grown-ups) love running their hands over the walls when they go around corners. Address that with a damp cloth and maybe even a coat of paint in the really bad spots. If the kids have drawn on the walls, even if it’s in their bedrooms, fix it up with a new paint job. Steer clear of very bright or very dark paint colours even in the kids rooms if you can.

12. If you’ve got the room, eat in kitchens are very desirable. Even a breakfast bar helps. Just don’t overdo it on the bar stools. If you’ve got the kitchen table and a breakfast bar in the same room, go with one or the other. Not both. It’ll be to tight a squeeze.

13. Make sure all your lights are in perfect working order and that each room has enough task and subtle mood lighting, so each person can do their own thing.

14. Make room for a study or study nook. Lots of people work from home these days and school age kids need a place to do homework.

15. In those rooms where privacy isn’t a concern, allow as much natural light to filter in. Keep your window coverings open. If you’ve got a great garden view (one that’s good to watch over kids at play), consider taking them down.

16. Set up an outdoor entertaining area. A bbq, sitting area and if you can manage it, some kind of shade helps give an ‘outdoor room’ kind of feel.

17. If you’ve got a swimming pool, play on it. At the very least it should be sparkling clean even if it’s not swim season. Pools don’t always add value to property. But if there’s ever a time and place for it to be a positive feature it’s when you want to sell a family home.

18. Have your pets go visiting…someone else for a while. Not everyone’s a dog, cat, rabbit or ferret lover. Some people are allergic to cat hair, or the kids are really nervous around dogs. That means they aren’t likely to want to hang around to complete the full property tour.

19. Tidy up your garage. Garages are prized (and often neglected) in family homes, because they offer a ton more storage space.

20. As proud of your car as you may well be, keeping your driveway clear during inspections or open house. No-one finds that ‘car yard’ look appealing. Keeping it clear makes for far better kerb appeal and increases your yard frontage.